Sections

FILE - In this May 27, 2014 file photo, Donald Trump speaks at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington. Trump says he'll submit a bid to buy the Buffalo Bills but that it's unlikely his offer will be the winner. The billionaire businessman told Fox News that's because he's "not going to do something totally stupid" to make the team his. Trump spoke on the eve of Tuesday's, July 29, 2014, deadline for prospective owners to submit initial bids for the National Football League franchise. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

And so are NHL Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula, a person close to the process confirmed Thursday night to The Associated Press while speaking on the condition of anonymity because the sale is supposed to be private.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s executive vice-president and special counsel, confirmed in an email to the AP that his boss was chosen to advance to the next round of bidding. Cohen said he was informed of the decision by Morgan Stanley, the banking firm overseeing the sale of the team for late owner Ralph Wilson’s estate.

Trump is bidding on his own after electing against being joined by partners. He is prepared to make an all-cash offer.

Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson plays with his children following practice at training camp in Pittsford, N.Y., Monday, July 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

Trump is proving to be serious in his efforts to buy the Bills, who are on the market after Wilson died in March. Trump was previously dismissed by critics as using the Bills’ sale as a publicity stunt.

The Pegulas have been low-key throughout the sale process in regards to their interests in purchasing the Bills.

The Bills most recently were valued by Forbes at $870 million but are expected to sell for at least $1 billion, partly because NFL teams rarely go on the market.

Morgan Stanley’s selection of Trump and the Pegulas comes after prospective groups were asked to submit non-binding bids by Tuesday.

A Toronto group that includes rocker Jon Bon Jovi was expected to submit a bid. It’s not known if that group has been selected to advance.

FILE – In this June 26, 2014, file photo musician Jon Bon Jovi performs during a concert of the American rock band Bon Jovi in Lisbon, Portugal. Bon Jovi is part of a Toronto group that has retained a banking firm and submitted paperwork expressing interest in buying the Buffalo Bills, three people who have reviewed documents regarding the sale process told The Associated Press on Friday, July 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)

The deadline Tuesday was regarded as a soft one, meaning other interested parties can still submit bids until a prospective owner is identified. The time, however, is growing shorter for outside groups to become involved.

The next step is for groups who have been approved to advance is to meet with both Morgan Stanley and members of the estate to obtain the franchise’s financial information. Bills President Russ Brandon also is expected to make a presentation to prospective bidders.

Once that is done in the coming weeks, groups will then be asked to submit formal bids. The bidding process is unsealed, meaning Wilson’s estate will have the ability to ask groups to increase their bids.

Though no timetable has been established by Morgan Stanley, a prospective owner is could be identified by as early as Labor Day and presented to NFL owners for approval during league meetings in early October.